Many of you will recall the series “Castle of Dreams” that I ran a while ago, featuring many talented authors, and their own Castle of Dreams. Some were real, some from their books, and others were completely written new for this blog.

It was a great success, but, like many other things, there are only so many other authors that are prepared to write a piece on a castle.

This week however I have reinstated it for a very important reason. My friend and fellow author AFE Smith wrote a piece for the original series, and I’m delighted to welcome her back this week.

Why, you might ask…

Well, her first novel Darkhaven, which I had the honour of reading original excerpts from on the Harper Collins author community website “Authonomy” a while ago, is released by Harper Collins on 21st July 2015, if you can’t wait that long, then you can get it in e-book form from 2nd July 2015.

I’m absolutely thrilled for her, and anxiously await my pre-ordered copy through the post so I can read the final version.

So I’m honoured to welcome AFE Smith, and of course Ayla Nightshade to the Castle of Dreams:

Andrea ran a lovely series called Castle of Dreams here on her blog in 2013. In it, participating authors talked about their favourite castle – you can read my original post here. So when she suggested that I ask one of my characters to talk about what castles mean to them, I thought it was a great idea! Here’s Ayla Nightshade, one of the protagonists from my new book Darkhaven, to talk about her own castle of dreams.

I don’t live in a castle, not exactly. Darkhaven is a tower, a seven-sided tower with a central courtyard. And it’s more likely to give you nightmares than happy dreams. Blackstone has quite a sinister effect when a whole building is made out of it. I wouldn’t have thought anyone down in the city looks up at Darkhaven, here on the hill, and wishes they could live in it. In fact, I daresay they avert their eyes and thank the elements they don’t have to get too close. My father isn’t exactly known for his hospitality.

Still, castle or tower … it’s all the same, to the people outside it. They don’t realise that when I hear the word castle, I think of adventure and romance – the kind in all the stories my mother used to read me. Whereas Darkhaven … well, Darkhaven is the opposite of that. For me, Darkhaven is more like a prison than anything.

It wasn’t like that when my mother was alive. Oh, it was still dark and gloomy, with rooms that were too big for the human inhabitants and nothing of softness or comfort about it. Yet my mother filled the silences. She made even the austere walls of Darkhaven seem welcoming. I wouldn’t mind living here so much, if only she were still alive. But she’s gone, and without her, there’s no-one to talk my father out of his obsessions. He’s ashamed of me – of what I turn into – and until recently, he’s been determined to keep me hidden. Not that his new scheme is any better …

But let’s not discuss that.

The thing is, Darkhaven is my home. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to be here, only I want here to be different. So if you ask me to imagine my ideal castle – the one I daydream about – it is Darkhaven after all. Except it’s a Darkhaven that no longer exists. It’s a place from my past, a place that lives on only in memory, a place where my mother is still alive and my father can relate to me and my brother Myrren as people instead of a pair of disappointments. I find it sad that my dream is already in the past, because it means I have no hope of returning to it.

Still. Maybe the only perfect places are the ones we can never get to.

Thank You Ayla, that’s a wonderful piece, so evocative. If, like me, you can’t wait to know more, you can find out more aby following the links below to buy the book itself:

Darkhaven:

Ayla Nightshade never wanted to rule Darkhaven. But her half-brother Myrren – true heir to the throne – hasn’t inherited their family gift, forcing her to take his place. When this gift leads to Ayla being accused of killing her father, Myrren is the only one to believe her innocent. Does something more sinister than the power to shapeshift lie at the heart of the Nightshade family line? Now on the run, Ayla must fight to clear her name if she is ever to wear the crown she never wanted and be allowed to return to the home she has always loved.

I think it’s time we found out a little more about Ayla’s creator, the wonderful AFE Smith,
A.F.E. Smith is an editor of academic texts by day and a fantasy writer by night. So far, she hasn’t mixed up the two. She lives with her husband and their two young children in a house that someone built to be as creaky as possible – getting to bed without waking the baby is like crossing a nightingale floor. Though she doesn’t have much spare time, she makes space for reading, mainly by not getting enough sleep (she’s powered by chocolate). Her physical bookshelves were stacked two deep long ago, so now she’s busy filling up her e-reader.
What A.F.E. stands for is a closely guarded secret, but you might get it out of her if you offer her enough snacks.

I’ve known Paul since we went to University, and his trip has brought to the fore many memories of him talking about his dream.

The panic I felt when I heard of the earthquake was, rather selfishly, out of concern for my friend, and then I realised just how massive the devastation was.

Thankfully he is safe, but out of respect for the country, and the Sherpas that accompanied them on the climb to base and intermediate camp, he has set up a Just Giving page, donating to Community Action Nepal. Many of those same Sherpas’ villages were devastated, and it would be nice to think that the funds Paul manages to raise will somehow help those same families.

Have a read of the blog he set up to document his life’s dream, and if you can spare a few pennies, or pounds, the link to his page can be found there.

Well what I can say? Some of you out there are looking absolutely radiant – an inner glow, a knowing smile… You seem to have something about you….probably having trouble fending off members of the opposite sex – or quite possibly the same sex?? … The rest you, well I’m sorry, you have that down trodden Thursday look. You clearly haven’t discovered the joys of “CAN”. Want to learn more? It’s a painless process, no surgery is required, no anesthetic either. 2 minutes is all it takes to get that radiant CAN look – that rather warm inner glow and to have a wonderfully smug smile as you stand in that Starbucks queue. Still interested? Then follow the instructions here http://www.justgiving.com/foxoneverest On a serious note, a million thanks to all of you who have so kindly donated – I’m really blown away by your generosity. It’s a charity really close…

This post could have been written by my family and friends. It’s all about how to support your authorly friends out there, and since my friends and family have been awesome enough to support me through the publication of two books I wanted to let others in on their tips for supporting an author friend. (I bet most of them didn’t even know they had such tips!) Through the years my friends and family have come up with some ingenious ways to put the word about my books “out there.” I thought I would share these with everyone else out there who would like to know ways to support a certain author but are a bit uncertain about how to do that. Believe me there are plenty of ways, and my friends have done a super, stupendous job.

This week we welcome my good friend, the absolutely wonderful Sophie E Tallis, author of White Mountain, and all round lovely member of the Alliance of Worldbuilders.

I’ll stop boring you now, and hand you over to her featured week

Summer Reads Blog Tour - Week Eleven
Sophie Tallis

I'm beginning to wonder where all the time has gone, I mean eleven weeks have already slipped by in this Summer Reads Blog Tour. Where has the summer gone?

I sure hope you've been enjoying the Summer Reads Blog as much as I have with meeting all these new faces and new reads. We've just got two more weeks left and I've saved the best for last. Let's welcome Sophie Tallis and her books along with her recommended reads.

A Bristol born gal, I grew up in a sleepy village, dreaming of dragons and wild adventures. I haven't grown up much and sincerely hope I never do. I live in the Cotswolds with my family, two enormous white wolves, two even bigger Alaskan Malamutes and a load of wild ducks who basically run the place! I was a full-time teacher, dulling young minds...ahem...I mean inspiring young children for the past 16 years and am now a librarian, a dream job being surrounded by books all day!

Although I primarily write epic fantasy, I enjoy most genres and love science-fiction, classics and contemporary literary fiction. Basically I'm a sucker for any good story.

I'm a painter, artist and illustrator and have a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art, photography and sculpture and a Post-Grad in Education. But, my first passion has always been for writing stories and poetry, which I've done since I was a child.

Apart from writing, reading, drawing and painting, I am an avid film buff, love stargazing, playing chess and traveling (when I get the chance) and am passionate about nature and conservation. I'd describe myself as a lover of wild places and the written word.

I have a passion for ancient history, anthropology, African and Asian mythology, natural history, archaeology, astronomy, geology, world geography, Paleolithic civilization, art history, photography and of course fantasy and science-fiction! Did I mention that I’m a huge nerd?

White Mountain - Book 1 of the Darkling Chronicles

Amongst our modern world lies another, an archaic and hidden world of tradition, sorcery and magic. As dark demons awaken from our past, the last remaining wizards are being hunted and murdered by a changeling of terrifying strength. Attached and drained of most of his powers, a dying sorcerer must race against time to save himself and the fat of all, from an enemy intent on cleansing the plant and destroying humanity...

1) Behind the Hood by Marita Hensen - Having spent 4 glorious months in beautiful New Zealand, this broody and compelling book by fellow Authonomy writer, Marita Hensen, really hooked me in. It centers around a group of disillusioned Maori youths and you realize the power of broken dreams.2) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - I loved this book to my core. It reminded me of the wonderful melancholic sci-fi books of my youth like when I read Philip K. Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep', Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and tones of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Mesmeric and stays with you for weeks after.

3) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - A gut-wrenching story, beautiful, scary and tragic. You really feel every dangerous step the young protagonist finds herself on. MUCH better than the film!

4) The Last Mask by Stephen Winterflood - Wickedly and unreservedly dark. This puts the bitter in bitter chocolate! A truly unique book that twists its readers with every turn of its decadent theatrical blade!

6) Vortex by Lindsey J Parsons - I LOVED this book and I'm not a big reader of the paranormal genre, but this was a delight from beginning to end. I found myself wishing I was Sam, the main protagonist as she begins to uncover another world within our own and her own part in it, and finds love in the most unexpected place.

Summer Reads Blog Tour - Week Eleven
Sophie Tallis

I'm beginning to wonder where all the time has gone, I mean eleven weeks have already slipped by in this Summer Reads Blog Tour. Where has the summer gone?

I sure hope you've been enjoying the Summer Reads Blog as much as I have with meeting all these new faces and new reads. We've just got two more weeks left and I've saved the best for last. Let's welcome Sophie Tallis and her books along with her recommended reads.

A Bristol born gal, I grew up in a sleepy village, dreaming of dragons and wild adventures. I haven't grown up much and sincerely hope I never do. I live in the Cotswolds with my family, two enormous white wolves, two even bigger Alaskan Malamutes and a load of wild ducks who basically run the place! I was a full-time teacher, dulling young minds...ahem...I mean inspiring young children for the past 16 years and am now a librarian, a dream job being surrounded by books all day!

Although I primarily write epic fantasy, I enjoy most genres and love science-fiction, classics and contemporary literary fiction. Basically I'm a sucker for any good story.

I'm a painter, artist and illustrator and have a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art, photography and sculpture and a Post-Grad in Education. But, my first passion has always been for writing stories and poetry, which I've done since I was a child.

Apart from writing, reading, drawing and painting, I am an avid film buff, love stargazing, playing chess and traveling (when I get the chance) and am passionate about nature and conservation. I'd describe myself as a lover of wild places and the written word.

I have a passion for ancient history, anthropology, African and Asian mythology, natural history, archaeology, astronomy, geology, world geography, Paleolithic civilization, art history, photography and of course fantasy and science-fiction! Did I mention that I’m a huge nerd?

White Mountain - Book 1 of the Darkling Chronicles

Amongst our modern world lies another, an archaic and hidden world of tradition, sorcery and magic. As dark demons awaken from our past, the last remaining wizards are being hunted and murdered by a changeling of terrifying strength. Attacked and drained of most of his powers, a dying sorcerer must race against time to save himself and the fate of all, from an enemy intent on cleansing the plant and destroying humanity...

1) Behind the Hood by Marita Hensen - Having spent 4 glorious months in beautiful New Zealand, this broody and compelling book by fellow Authonomy writer, Marita Hensen, really hooked me in. It centers around a group of disillusioned Maori youths and you realize the power of broken dreams.2) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - I loved this book to my core. It reminded me of the wonderful melancholic sci-fi books of my youth like when I read Philip K. Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep', Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and tones of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Mesmeric and stays with you for weeks after.

3) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - A gut-wrenching story, beautiful, scary and tragic. You really feel every dangerous step the young protagonist finds herself on. MUCH better than the film!

4) The Last Mask by Stephen Winterflood - Wickedly and unreservedly dark. This puts the bitter in bitter chocolate! A truly unique book that twists its readers with every turn of its decadent theatrical blade!

6) Vortex by Lindsey J Parsons - I LOVED this book and I'm not a big reader of the paranormal genre, but this was a delight from beginning to end. I found myself wishing I was Sam, the main protagonist as she begins to uncover another world within our own and her own part in it, and finds love in the most unexpected place.

Firstly, an apology from me, as I’ve been away so this latest blog is slightly late…

This week is Michel Prince…

Summer Reads Blog Tour – Week Nine

Michel Prince

Week nine in the Summer Blogs Tour is here and I’m hoping you’ve been enjoying meeting new faces and trying new reads. It’s time to welcome Michel to my blog tour, another friend I met through Authonomy when we were all just newbies starting out. You won’t want to miss out on her reads list and her own books. Check them out if you’re a romance junkie like me, you won’t be disappointed!

Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling “It’s my turn damn it!!!” She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers and is a Pro member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.

Betsy Flynn’s star is rising as she serves as the color sports reporter for the local CBS affiliate. Her focus, knowledge and high heels have become a staple along every sideline in Minneapolis, but a rodeo has come to Minnesota and this Texas transplant will have to go back to her roots.

Five years ago pick-up man JT Long chose his best friend’s rodeo career over the love of his life, Betsy.J As JT’s rodeo shows up in Northern Minnesota he quickly realizes his chances of winning Betsy back are getting slim as he learns he only has one last rodeo to win her heart.

*Break out the fireworks and get ready to kick off your summer with this HOT new collection of stories. One Last Rodeo is part of the Red Hot and BOOM multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment).

Former slave Nye ended his life in 1859 after losing his love. The angel Gabriel has offered Nye a chance at redemption by hunting demons as a member of the Frozen. With less than seven years left until his salvation, Nye is staying on the straight and narrow – until a woman gets caught in the crossfire during a demon hunt.

After receiving devastating news, Kiriana Kladshon moves across the country, only to get caught up in the world of The Frozen. Nye and Kiriana are pulled into an attraction neither can control. Will it be their ultimate demise or their greatest salvation?

Damarion, is leading a group of female demons on a mission. During his punishment on Earth, Damarion learns of dangers within his coven trying to stop him from returning to his love, still trapped in Hell and A love he was so sure was true…

In the annals of dysfunctional families, the Chisholm’s are working their way to the top. Drug abuse, an unwed mother with multiple fathers, and the questionable cash flow for the ‘pretty one’. All this from a seemingly normal, two parent middle class family. But were the choices truly made of their free will?

Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who’s trying to separate herself by making smart decisions. And falling for Oscar Jeffreys, the hottest guy at school, would be number one on the list of Chisholm family disasters. Yet the crazy part is it’s not a one sided attraction. Somehow Ellie has caught Oscar Jeffreys’ eye. Sure she could see the barriers between them. Race, age, popularity. They were at opposite ends of the spectrum. But a demon set to destroy her family? She can’t see that.

Oscar provides security and acceptance Ellie never imagined she deserved. As the passion of first love grows, Ellie honestly believes she has a chance to beat the odds and live a happy, normal life. Then her world collapses around her. With the help of a guardian angel, Ellie learns of a world that has unknowingly surrounded her for years. And she’ll have to find strength buried deep inside to save not only her future, but flush out and stop the demon in her midst.

Ellie will have to learn that sometimes the hardest lesson about growing up is accepting that you’re worth more.

This week, it’s my turn! I hope you’ve enjoyed everyone’s recommendations so far – this has been a whole lot of fun, and I’m tickled to share my summer book picks with you. Read on to find out what they are, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post! There’s lots of awesome prizes, including a copy of my poetry collection, Tuesday Daydreams!

Summer Reads Blog Tour – Week Eight

Kay Kauffman

Tick tock, tick tock, it’s week eight in our Summer Reads Blog Tour and I’ve come to welcome Kay Kauffman to our madness! Kay is another lovely online friend from Authonomy who I’ve been chatting with now for a number of years. She’s fun, has a gentle spirit that I simply adore, and will be the first to gather her popcorn bucket when Sam and I start our online battles! Let’s hear it…

This week is the turn of the wonderful Sam Smith – what will you think of her choices?

Summer Reads Blog Tour – Week Seven

Sammy HK Smith

Week seven is already here, and it’s time to introduce Sammy HK Smith! Sammy is another Authonomy friend who didn’t run away when I send a friend request via Facebook! Some do you know…lol. Anyway, along with others on this Blog Tour, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know her and her writings. You won’t want to miss out on her work and recommendations from Goodreads. Here’ssssss Sammy!

Sammy lives and works in the sunny county of Oxfordshire in the UK with her husband, 14 cats, 2 dogs and hamster, Georgeski. When time allows, she writes. In Search of Gods and Heroes is her first book, and the first of the Children of Nalowyn series.

Between working and writing, she studies with the Open University for her B.A in Humanties with a specialism in Classical Studies, and is currently learning (albeit slowly) Ancient Greek and Latin. She enjoys reading (obviously!), mythology, music, films, and a host of other uninteresting hobbies.

Buried in the scriptures of Ibea lies a story of rivalry, betrayal, stolen love, and the bitter division of the gods into two factions. This rift forced the lesser deities to pledge their divine loyalty either to the shining Eternal Kingdom or the darkness of the Underworld.

When a demon sneaks into the mortal world and murders an innocent girl to get to her sister Chaeli, all pretence of peace between the gods is shattered. For Chaeli is no ordinary mortal, she is a demi-goddess, in hiding for centuries, even from herself. But there are two divine brothers who may have fathered her, and the fate of Ibea rests on the source of her blood.

Chaeli embarks on a journey that tests her heart, her courage, and her humanity. Her only guides are a man who died a thousand years ago in the Dragon Wars, a former assassin for the Underworld, and a changeling who prefers the form of a cat.

The lives of many others – the hideously scarred Anya and her gaoler; the enigmatic and cruel Captain Kerne; the dissolute Prince Dal; and gentle seer Hana – all become entwined. The gods will once more walk the mortal plane spreading love, luck, disease, and despair as they prepare for the final, inevitable battle.

In Search of Gods and Heroes, Book One of Children of Nalowyn, is a true epic of sweeping proportions which becomes progressively darker as the baser side of human nature is explored, the failings and ambitions of the gods is revealed, and lines between sensuality and sadism, love and lust are blurred.

This is my favourite urban fantasy series of all time. Dark, gritty, funny, and with a splash of romance. What I love is that Karen doesn’t make our heroine the milquetoast MC that bumbles about needing a man to set her right. Cassie is …

I picked this book up several years ago in a cheap bookstore. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but after reading the novel I immediately ordered the subsequent books in the series. A paranormal mystery surrounding those with violet ey…

This series ranks in my top fantasy books of all time. They’re old school fantasy – good vs bad. With a strong female MC and a band of characters who are neither blank or white. James Clemens writes characters that are complex, interesti…

A.J Dalton was (I believe) the first author to officially coin the term metaphysical fantasy – where things such as free will and destiny are swayed by external influences such as gods. Where nature nurtures and we consider more than the…

Not YA, not adult, this fits wonderfully into the NA reading genre. A perfect blend of dieselpunk, dystopia and science fiction, Autodrome is a city in the desert where racing is everything. I liken it to the pod-racing in Star Wars – th…

I can’t believe it is Week 6 already! Some of you may remember from my own feature last week that I chose a book by Tricia Drammeh. Well, I’m delighted to say that this week features the lovely lady herself….

Summer Reads Blog Tour – Week Six Tricia Drammeh

Super excited to introduce you to Tricia Drammeh! Tricia is another friend that I’ve had the privilege of getting to know over the last several years from a site called Authonomy. It’s a site where writers go to post their manuscripts and have their peers read and critique. I loved her manuscript, her style of writing from the moment I first read her work. It’s really cool to be able to say “I read her original work before it was published!”And now a word from Tricia!

Hi everyone! My name is Tricia Drammeh, and I’m super excited to be a part of the 2014 Summer Reads Blog Tour. I hope you all are finding lots of great books to read this summer. I know I’ve found a bunch and I’d love to share some with you, but first here’s a little about me and my books. Tricia Drammeh is a wife, the mother of four wonderful kids, and the author of four published novels. She currently lives in New Hampshire with her family. When she isn’t writing, she can be found reading, wrangling cats, or drinking lots and lots of coffee. You can connect with Tricia by visiting herWebsite or following her onFacebook.

Twenty-three-year-old Karlie is in the type of rut some people never escape from. With few friends, no boyfriend, and no plans to graduate from college any time in the immediate future, Karlie is as stuck in her ways as the elderly neighbor she spends all her time with.

When her world is invaded by two surly twins bound for criminal court, a too-good-to-be-true love interest, and a cute cop who keeps showing up at the most inopportune moments, Karlie can either fight against the changes in her life, or embrace them.

Ninth grade can be a nightmare when you don’t fit in at school, your crush chooses someone else, and your parents tell you they’re having a new baby. Abby was prepared for normal high school problems. She wasn’t prepared for a demon. Abby has always been fascinated by the paranormal, but after an ill-fated séance, she discovers not all Spirits are benign. A dark entity unleashed during the summoning sets out to destroy Abby, and within days, she loses her best friend, incurs the wrath of her parents, and becomes a prisoner in her own home. With time quickly running out, she assembles an unlikely group of helpers: the most hated guy in school, a retired psychic, and the cute clerk from her favorite bookstore. Unless the demon is defeated, Abby and her new baby brother won’t stand a chance.The Séance, a Dark Summons Novel, is a full-length Paranormal book for teens and young adults.

Jordan has always known she had a destiny. She always expected to die young. When you’re a seeker (or a slayer) in the Celadon Circle, you put the world’s needs ahead of your own and never dare to question the Angels’ orders. But, Jordan…

Charlie runs the local bookshop and looks after the owner who suffers from dementia. He has a close relationship with his mom, is well-liked by locals at the bar, but isn’t really going anywhere with his life–until he meets Pearl. The m…

Bailey’s back in town, ready to face the biggest mistake of her life. Two years ago, she left Cam brokenhearted, and though she knows she can’t expect to be able to take up where they left off, she hopes she can find some peace in her ho…

Sophia has a secret she can’t share. If she tells anyone about the buzzing in her head, they’ll think she’s crazy. And, most of the people in her small town already think she’s crazy and dangerous–and possibly a murderer. She tries to c…

Elizabeth has given so much of herself to others (her husband, children, students, volunteer work) that there’s scarcely anything left of the “Liza” she used to be. Her husband takes her for granted. She can’t say no to the constant bar…